Dental device



0. C. SAMPHERE.

DENTAL DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I3, I920.

1,381,750. Patented June 14, 1921,

PATENT OFFICE.

OB IN C. .SAMPHERE, OF WEST ALI-IS, WISCONSIN.

DENTAL DEVICE.

Application filed May 13,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORIN C. SAMPHERE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of West Allis. in the county of Milwaukee and State of lVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Dental Devices, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which'a're a part of this specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in dental appliances and refers more), particularly to what may be generally termed a dental bridge work.

The bridge structures now most commonly used in dental work are fixed in the mouth and are undesirable in that particles of food become lodged thereunder and decay and it is impossible to remove the food therefrom.

Numerous removable bridge work structures have beendesigned to obviate this objection but none of them have satisfied the requirements as they soon become loose and oftentimes are swallowed by the wearer.

Hence with the above and other objections in mind this invention has for one of its objects to provide means for so securing an artificial tooth in place that the same may be readily moved or swung from normal position by the wearer to permit the cleaning of food from therebeneath but at the same time preventing the removal of the artificial tooth from the wearers mouth.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dental device of the class described in which the artificial teeth are so connected with the natural teeth as to be normally secured in position and, at the same time, capable of being moved from nor- .mal position to permit the thorough cleaning of food particles therefrombeneath, the artificial tooth being so secured in place that the same can only be readily removed from the wearers mouth by a dentist equipped with the proper instruments.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a bridge structure for artificial teeth which may be secured in place without mutilating the adjacent natural teeth and which may be readily removed without destroying, mutilating or in any way interfering with the workin of the structure when it is again placed in t e mouth.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description pro- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 14, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 381,060.

ceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated one complet example of the physical embodiment of my invention and a modification thereof constructed according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective View of a portion of a and teeth carried thereby illustrating one manner of securing artificial teeth in place by my improved bridgestructure.

Fig. 2 is a View looking at the lower edge of the teeth.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view thereof, a portion of the attaching member being broken awayand in section.

Fig. l is a detailed view of the artificial teeth and attaching member removed from the mouth, the artificial teeth being illustrated as moved to a position at substantially 180 to its normal position relative to the attaching member;

Fig. 5 is a view part in section and part in elevation taken on the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a modified form of my invention; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of that form of my invention depicted in Fig. 6 illustrating artificial teeth as swung from their normal position.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing the numeral 5 designates the j aw of a person and 6 the natural teeth, and the present invention consists primarily in the means for securing the artificial teeth 7 in position.

In Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive I haveillustra'ted my device as in use in connection with the two rearmost molars connected together by means of the usual artificial gum composition 8 and pivotally connected to a yoke member 9 by means of a pin 10 fixed in one of the teeth 7 and swiveled in the attaching member. The attaching member in the present instance is of substantially U-shape and has arms 11 thereof apertured as at 12 near their outer ends for engagement over trunnions 13 carried by one of the ad acent fixed teeth 6.

In the present instance I have illustrated in normal position by means of a slight hump orprojection 15 formed on the crown 14 or other retaining portion for the trunnions 13 over which the portion of the at- 'taching member with which the pin 10 1s engaged passes and engages behind as depicted in Fig. 3. As will be obvious but a slight tension is required to retain the parts in normal position. 7

v This structure exposes or presents the entire sides and top of the artificial teeth to facilitate a thorough brushing without removing from the mouth, but when it is desired to clean from beneath the artificial teeth they are raised to the position depicted in Fig. 3 and may be moved on the-swivel or pivot 10 as depicted in Fig. 4 to permit the better and more thorough cleaning thereof. W

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have illustrated a slightly modified form of my invention in which one or more artificial teethare secured between natural teeth, in which instance the artificial teeth are secured upon a base 16 one end of which carries the attaching member 9 and the other end of which has an interlocking projection 17 adapted to engage within a recess 18 formed in a gold'filling 19 of the adjacent natural tooth 6. The portion of the foundation 16 adj acent the attaching member 9 may also be provided with a. projection 20 for engagement in a recess 21 formed within the crown .14 to which the attaching member 9 is secured. Y a

Inthis form of'my device, the artificial teeth may be releasably retained in normal positionby means of two spring arms 22 carried by the foundation and adapted to bind against the adjacent tooth 6'as thus shown in Fig. 6. 'As in the other form of my invention, the arms 11 of the attaching member may be sprung apart to disengage the trunnions 13 and permit the complete re- IQOVELl-Of the artificial teeth from the mouth, and if desired the interlocking projection 17 and 20 may be dispensed with as may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which an invention of this character appertains.

What I claim as my inventionis:

1. A dental device for attaching a movable tooth to a fixed tooth consisting of a means forming a pivotal and a swivel connection between the two teeth.

2. In a dental device, the combination with a fixed tooth and a movable tooth, of an attaching member having a pivotal connection with the fixed toothand a swivel connection with the movable tooth.

3. A dental device comprising an attaching member, a swivel connection between said member and an artificial tooth, means pivotally connecting the atta.chingme1nber with a fixed tooth, and means releasibly securing the artificial tooth in normal position.

41. In a dental device, the combination with a fixed tooth and a removable tooth, of a yoke member, means pivotally connecting the ends of the arms of the yoke member with the fixed tooth, and a swivel connection between the closed end of the yoke and the removable tooth. 7

5. In a dental device, the combination with a removable tooth, a fixed tooth and laterally projecting trunnion carried by one of the teeth, of an attaching member having one end apertured and engaged with said trunnion toprovide a pivotal connection between said member and the tooth carrying said trunnion, and a swivel connection between the other end of said member and the other tooth.

6. In a dental device, the combination with a fixed tooth and a removable tooth, of an attaching member carried by said removable ,tooth, a pivotal connection between said member and the fixed tooth, and means for 'releasably securingv the removable tooth against movement o n'1ts pivot including a 'humpformed on sald fixed tooth and over which'said attaching'member must spring when the-removable tooth is moved to its normal position. V i

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

11ml 0.. SAMPHERE. 

